Scud
by Firelizard46
Summary: Scud knew he needs to make a choice and soon, but will he choice Blade or Damaskinos. This does not start at the beginning of the movie, and it will not follow the movie fully. Rated M for Scud's language and of course his drugs.
1. Chapter 1

Scud had been having another argument with Whistler, who he cannot stand, when the alarms started going off. Scud ran over to his computer systems and started checking the security system.

"What is going on?" Blade says, suddenly appearing beside Scud.

"Somehow someone got past my system," Scud says, typing away at the computer.

"Human?" Blade asked, placing a hand on Scud's shoulder.

"I wish," Scud says, looking up at Blade, who's no longer there. "B?" Scud turns suddenly when he hears the gun cabinet being opened. "No you don't," Scud says, moving to grab the gun from Whistler. "I don't trust you yet."

Scud had just got his hand on the gun when Whistler punched him square in the jaw, the force knocking Scud down. "What the hell?" Scud asks, spitting blood onto the floor.

Scud was about to get up and try to grab the gun again when he heard a sudden noise. He looks up and sees the suckheads dropping down from the ceiling. He doesn't have very much time to react.

One moment Scud was running to his computers, and the next he finds himself face to face with one of the suckheads. "Wait, wait, wait," Scud says, backing away from the suckhead.

"Where is the Daywalker?" the suckhead asks.

"Why the fuck would I tell you that?" Scud says, without thinking. The next thing he knows, the suckhead moves towards him and grabs the front of his jacket.

"You should have told me," the suckhead said, lifting Scud off his feet and throwing him across the garage.

Scud hears Blade scream his name right before he hits the wall and falls to the ground unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

Scud started to wake up when he felt strong arms lift him up. Then he could feel himself being laid down onto a bed.

"Scud?" Blade asks, voice filled with concern.

"B?" Scud says, his voice coming out as a whisper.

"Scud, open your eyes, please," Blade says. Scud feels Blade sit down beside him. Scud slowly opens his eyes, trying to keep the pain out of his eyes, but he was not successful. "Where does it hurt?" Blade asks, touching Scud's cheek softly,

"My back and head," Scud says, closing his eyes as the pain became worse.

"Hey! Keep your eyes open! Look at me, Scud!" Blade says, his voice sounding panicked.

"I'm tired. Can't I just sleep, B?" Scud says, opening his eyes and looking at Blade.

"I'm sorry, but no. I need you to stay awake," Blade says.

"The docs on the way," Whistler says, walking in. Scud finally looks to see where he is and is surprised that it is Blade's room.

"He's not good. How long will it take for the doctor to get here?" Blade asks, his eyes never leaving Scud.

"I don't know," Whistler says. Blade looks up and glares at Whistler, which takes just a few seconds, but when he turns back to Scud, Scud's eyes are closed again.

"Scud!" Scud hears Blade yell before he loses consciousness again.


	3. Chapter 3

When Scud woke up, he could hear Blade and Whistler arguing. "I don't care what they want. I am not leaving him alone," Blade yells.

"He's just some stupid pot head. Why do you care so much about what happens to him?" Whistler yells back.

"I remember being a kid and wanting to find some place to fit in. He has found one, and I want him to be safe," Blade says softly.

"You have feelings for him, don't you?" Whistler says just as softly.

"I just don't want to see him get hurt as bad as the day I found him," Blade says, and Scud can feel him sit down on the bed beside him.

"What happened to him?" Whistler asks.

"It's not my story to tell. Right Scud?" Blade asks as he brushes Scud's hair off his face, which makes Scud open his eyes.

"I'm sorry B," Scud says, his voice not going very loud.

"What are you apologizing for?" Blade asks.

"For hearing what you guys said, and for causing you so much trouble," Scud says as silent tears fall down his cheeks.

"Hey," Blade says softly. "It is not your fault. We shouldn't have been yelling. You hungry?"

"Yeah," Scud says. "Can I go to the kitchen and eat? I feel so stiff."

"Of course you can," Blade says, standing up. Blade ended up supporting Scud as he walked.

"I'm sorry we don't have any of your doughnuts, but I could make you a salad," Whistler says as Blade helps Scud sit down.

"That's fine. What happened?" Scud asks as Blade sits down beside him.

"You had a pretty bad concussion. The doctor will be here later today to check up on you," Blade says.

"He'll be glad to see you are awake and moving. We thought you would not wake up, or if you did wake up, we thought you might be paralyzed a little," Whistler says, setting a small salad down in front of Scud.

"But your fine, and that is all that matters," Blade says. Scud was only able to finish half of the salad before feeling full and tired.

"What were you guys talking about earlier?" Scud asks as Whistler puts the rest of his salad in the fridge.

"The bloodpack wants Blade to help them take out a new strain of vampires," Whistler says.

"I'm not," Blade snaps, which makes Scud flinch.

"Why?" Scud says.

"I don't like the sound of it, and I'm not leaving you here alone," Blade says.

"When do we go, and where to?" Scud asks, which makes Blade's eyes flash with anger. "You need to do this, B, and since you will not leave me here alone, then I am going with you. I'll just stay in the van."

"No. Out of the question," Blade says.

"B, I need to do this," Scud says, stressing 'I.'

"I'm going to go make some updates on the car," Whistler says quickly as he leaves, seeing the look Blade and Scud were sharing.

"What's wrong Scud?" Blade says, putting his hand on Scud's hand.

"It's all set up. Damaskinos wants you to kill the reapers for him, then he is going to kill you," Scud says.

"And?" Blade asks.

"Damaskinos sent me here to trick you, to help bring your death," Scud says.

"So?" Blade asks. Scud just stares at Blade because that was not the reaction he was expecting. "I've known since I first saw you, and I don't care. You have given me so many tools to kill with, and I doubt Damaskinos told you to do that," Blade says, brushing the hair out of Scud's face.

"I was sent here to help kill you. How can you be so calm?" Scud asks, tears rolling down his face.

"I know what it's like to want to fit in, to want friends, and to want to be happy," Blade says, wiping some of the tears off of Scud's face.

"What are you going to do with me?" Scud asks.

"I'm going to help you get out from under Damaskinos," Blade says, standing up. "You should get some more rest. The bloodpack will be here tonight."

When Scud went to stand, his legs buckled, and Blade quickly wrapped his arms around Scud. "Sorry," Scud says softly.

"It's ok. It's to be expected. You hit your head pretty hard, and you have been asleep for two days," Blade says, picking Scud up bridal style.

"Really? Then why am I so tired?" Scud asks, resting his head on Blade's shoulder and wrapping his arms around Blade's neck.

"Your body's weak from not eating and drinking," Blade says, laying Scud down on the bed, which Scud realized is Blade's bed again. Scud's face must have mirrored his surprise because Blade quickly spoke. "It's easier for me to watch you in here, since all my stuff is in here," Blade says.

"Oh," Scud says, looking around the room. "You've never let me in here before."

"The day we were attacked was the first time Whistler has been in here," Blade says, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Scud didn't know what else to say, so he just closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

"Josh, wake up," Blade's voice says, waking him from a deep sleep. "The doctor's here to check on you." Scud slowly opens his eyes, stretching and yawning as he does, which makes Blade chuckle.

"How do you feel today, Josh?" a man says from the other side of the bed then Blade is sitting at.

"I feel a little tired," Scud says, yawning again.

"As tired as you did earlier?" Blade asks, grabbing Scud's hand and locking eyes with Scud.

"No. Nowhere near as tired as earlier. Your bed comfy," Scud says.

"Well, I am going to check your blood pressure, temperature, pulse, and breathing," the man says, drawing Scud's attention from Blade. It didn't take long for the doctor to check everything. "You will probably be tired for a while until you can get a solid night's sleep," the doctor says, packing up his stuff. "Call me if anything develops."

"Will do," Blade says as the doctor leaves. Shortly after the doctor left, Whistler sticks his head in. "He's got a clean bill of health," Blade says.

"That's good. That's really good," Whistler says. "The bloodpack will be here in two hours."

"Ok. We will be down in a couple of minutes," Blade says, noticing how Scud flinched when Whistler spoke about the bloodpack. Once Whistler was gone, Blade turned to Scud. "What's wrong Josh?" Blade asks.

"Why are you calling me Josh?" Scud asks, trying to avoid Blade's question.

"It's your name, and the bloodpack named you Scud, not me," Blade says.

"I prefer Scud, though," Scud says, not meeting Blade's eyes.

"Ok, but I am calling you Josh. Now tell me, what is wrong? Damaskinos isn't coming here," Blade says, brushing the hair out of Scud's face.

"Chupa and Reinhardt are though. They always go where the princess goes, except when they go to the Maze," Scud says, sitting up and looking away from Blade.

"What is the Maze?" Blade asks, squeezing Scud's hand.

"It's Damaskinos' club. He sends all his familiars there once they turn eighteen to pleasure other vampires," Scud says, feeling tears build in his eyes but trying to hold them back.

"Oh," Blade says softly, which made Scud look at him. Scud really wished he hadn't looked at Blade because Blade's eyes are filled with sadness, which makes Scud's tears flow. "How do Chupa and Reinhardt fit in to this?" Blade asks, brushing some tears off of Scud's face.

"Reinhardt is the one that took me off the street, and Chupa...," Scud says.

"It's ok. There not here, and they will never hurt you again," Blade says, pulling Scud to him and wrapping his arms around Scud's small frame. "You don't have to tell me what Chupa did. I think I figured it out."

Scud was about to stop fighting his tears when a soft knock came from the closed door. "Who is it?" Blade says, which strikes Scud as odd, since Scud is pretty sure Blade knows who it is already.

"It's Nyssa. Everyone is waiting downstairs," Nyssa says, coming into the room and giving Blade a questioning look at seeing Blade and Scud's embrace. "How is he? I'm sorry for what happened,"

"He's a little weak, but other than that he is fine," Blade says as Nyssa walks over to the bed. Scud looks up at Nyssa when she suddenly pauses and sniffs the air. "What?" Blade asks quickly, looking from Nyssa to Scud and back to Nyssa.

"He smells like you. The way familiars smell like their masters, I mean," Nyssa says.

"What? How is that possible? Dhampires aren't supposed to be able to do that," Scud says, looking up at Blade.

"Blade isn't a normal dhampir. He hasn't been since Frost tried to raise the blood god," Nyssa says. "Blade, move away from Scud really quick." Blade hesitated, but he slowly got up, walked over to his desk, and sat on the corner of it.

"What are you doing?" Scud asks, surprised when Nyssa suddenly grabs his wrist and makes him stand.

"I'm testing my theory," Nyssa whispers in Scud's ear. The next thing Scud knew, he was standing on the ceiling walkway, about a hundred feet in the air, and Nyssa is standing behind him with her hands gripping his arms tightly.

"Josh," Blade screams, suddenly appearing a few feet from Scud and Nyssa. There was a commotion down on the ground.

"Blade, what are you guys doing up there?" Whistler yells up, which makes Scud look down at him. Looking down was a mistake, and it made Scud step back from the edge, but Nyssa wouldn't have that. Before Scud could react, Nyssa pushes Scud off the walk way.

"Blade!" Scud yells as he falls. Scud could hear Blade yelling his name, and Whistler yelling Blade's name. Scud closed his eyes and tried to brace himself for the landing that would surely kill him, but he never hit the ground.

Halfway to the floor, Scud feels Blade's strong arms wrap around him and turn him over, so that his back was towards the ground, with Blade in between. Scud never felt the landing because he suddenly blacked out.


	5. Chapter 5

The sound of Whistler yelling brought Scud back from unconsciousness. "You just about killed him. What were you thinking? Now Blade is hurt, and the boy won't wake up," Whistler yells. Scud is confused at first, but he soon remembers what happened, which makes him bolt upright. Sitting up that fast was a mistake because his head spins. "Scud?" Whistler yells, running to Scud's side.

"Blade?" Scud stutters out weakly.

"He's fine," Whistler says, trying to make Scud lay back down.

"Liar," Scud stutters, wincing in pain.

"Where does it hurt?" Whistler asks, touching Scud's arm gently.

"Blade," Scud stutters again.

"Answer my question and I will take you to him," Whistler says.

"My back and left arm," Scud stutters, a little stronger.

"Let me take a look at them really quick," Whistler says.

"His back is fine, just a little bruised, but his arm is broken just below the elbow," Nyssa says from by the door. Whistler glared at her, but Scud knows what she said was the truth. It didn't take long for Whistler to splint his arm.

"The doc will have to come once the bloodpack is gone to put a cast on that," Whistler says, helping Scud stand up. Just as Scud and Whistler started to walk towards the door, Blade came running in.

"Josh," Blade screams as he runs in.

"Blade," Scud says, stepping away from Whistler and toward Blade. Stepping out of Whistler's support was a mistake because his knees buckled, and he fell forward, right into Blade's arms.

"Josh," Blade says, wrapping his arms around Scud as they both sink to their knees.

"I'm going to make sure everyone is behaving themselves. Can you give me a hand Whistler?" Nyssa says, grabbing Whistler's arm and pulling him out of the room.

"I'm sorry," Scud murmurs into Blade's shoulder.

"I'm the one that should be apologizing. Not you, Josh," Blade says, kissing the top of Scud's head.

"Why did you risk your life for me?" Scud asks.

"Well, I... I...,"Blade stutters, which makes Scud look up because Blade never stutters. "You're my familiar."

"You're a bad liar, Blade," Scud says, chuckling, which causes him to wince.

"What?" Blade asks.

"A vampire never risks his own life for a familiar," Scud says. "What really made you risk your life?"

"Because I love you," Blade says, burying his face in Scud's hair.

"I love you too," Scud says softly, which makes Blade look into his eyes. "You can tell I'm not lying, and I hope you are not." Blade leans forward and kisses Scud forcefully.

"Of course I'm not lying," Blade says when they break from the kiss. "We better get down stairs. The bloodpack is probably getting impatient."

"Chupa and Reinhardt?" Scud asks as Blade pulls Scud up into standing.

"They won't lay a hand on you. Can you stand on your own?" Blade asks.

"Yeah," Scud says. Blade walks beside Scud and holds Scud's hand as they go down to where everyone is at. "I think I have an idea for a new weapon. Can I go work on it?" Scud asks, making Blade stop a little bit away from the group.

"Of course. Whistler," Blade yells the last part.

"Yeah, Blade?" Whistler asks, running over.

"Stay close to Josh. Go where he goes, and never let your guard down for one moment, and don't let Chupa or Reinhardt anywhere near him," Blade says, hugging and kissing Scud really quick before walking away.

"So, what project are you thinking of doing now?" Whistler asks as they walk to the work area.

"A UV grenade," Scud says, looking at what all he has.

"Done tried that," Whistler says.

"But you didn't have the Scudster working on it. Do we still have that scrap pile out back?" Scud says, moving all but a few things off of his work area.

"Yeah," Whistler says, grabbing his gun before they went out back. It is pouring down rain, and by time Scud gets all the pieces he needs, he is soaked. "You should change," Whistler says once Scud was back inside.

"Let me drop this stuff first," Scud says, carrying a tote of random pieces. When they get to Scud's bedroom, Whistler waits outside while Scud changes.

"Josh? Whistler?" Scud hears Blade yell. Scud goes to reply, but suddenly a strong hand clamps over his mouth.

"You little whore," Chupa's voice whispers in his ear. "Do I need to teach you who really owns you, just like last time?" Scud whimpers, which makes Chupa chuckle.

"I told you to stay with him," Blade's voice says through the door.

"He is just changing his clothes really quick," Whistler's voice replies. The doorknob shakes, which Scud is pretty sure he didn't lock.

"I knew the daywalker would come looking once I disappeared, so I locked the door to give us a while," Chupa whispers in Scud's ear, too soft for Blade and Whistler to hear. "If you make any noise, I will kill you."

"Josh," Blade's voice screams through the door. Scud wants to scream back, but he knows he cannot, or he will die and never see Blade again. Tears start pouring down Scud's face, which makes Chupa laugh again.

"I think I have time for a quick lesson," Chupa whispers. The next thing Scud knows, he is bent over the desk in his room with his pants around his ankles. It only lasted a few minutes, but it is the worse Scud has ever felt. Before Scud knew it, he was on his knees, his pants back on, and Chupa gone.

Blade is yelling from the other side of the door. "Josh! Open the door! Josh!" Blade yelled over and over while he keeps turning the doorknob. Scud just crawls under the desk, curls into a ball, and cries.

Blade must hear him crying because he is suddenly slamming against the door, which is built to handle a vampire's power, but obviously not a vampire in love's power because the door suddenly busts open, and Blade runs in.

"Josh," Blade yells, looking around. Scud just curls into a ball, and the rustling of his clothes draws Blade's eyes to him. Blade quickly shuts the door, telling Whistler to keep everyone out. Scud cries harder when Blade kneels down in front of the desk. "Josh, get out here," Blade says softly, and Scud only shakes his head no, which makes Blade reach under and pull Scud out. "Who?" Blade asks, pulling Scud into his lap and wrapping his arms around him. Scud only cries harder. "I thought so," Blade says. "Whistler get in here and bring Nyssa with you." Whistler and Nyssa walk in.

"What happened?" Whistler asks.

"Who did it?" Nyssa asks at the same time.

"Chupa," Blade says.

"Did what?" Whistler asks Blade, who just hugs Scud tighter. "Oh."

"We don't have solid proof though," Nyssa said, kneeling down beside Blade.

"I know," Blade says.

"We need to hit that club tonight," Nyssa says.

"Give us a sec," Scud says suddenly, his voice muffled because his head is buried in Blade's chest.

"Of course," Nyssa says softly. "I'll have everyone suit up."

Once Nyssa and Whistler are gone, Scud looks up into Blade's eyes. "Don't you dare apologize, Josh. You have nothing to apologize for," Blade says quickly, kissing the end of Scud's nose, which makes Scud chuckle and blush.


	6. Chapter 6

Scud can't stop himself from laughing at Blade's expression. Blade is looking at Scud like he suddenly grew a second head. "Your laugh is very cute," Blade says, smiling as he wraps his arms around Scud's waist from behind. Scud blushes really bad because Whistler and Nyssa were standing a little bit away from them, watching them.

"Blade, stop it," Scud says, embarrassed. "W and N are watching."

"How come we are still stuck with nicknames, but Blade gets to be called by his own name, Skid?" Whistler asks.

"Both of you, stop distracting him. The sooner he finishes, the sooner the bloodpack will leave, and the sooner Scud's arm can be properly taken care of," Nyssa says. Scud feels Blade flinch at the last part.

"It's not your fault," Scud whispers in Blade's ear.

"She has a point. The sooner you get done, the safer you'll be," Blade says, kissing Scud's cheek.

"Then you better let me go, so I can finish, but you and I better wait with the bloodpack," Scud says.

"I'm not leaving you," Blade says, tighten his arms around Scud. "Nyssa, you do need to wait with the bloodpack. UV light will hurt you."

"Ok. Just don't take too much longer," Nyssa says, walking away.

"How much longer are you going to be?" Blade asks, hugging Scud really quick before letting him go and sitting down at Scud's desk.

"I have one more part to add, and hopefully it will work," Scud says, adding the last piece to the small UV grenade. "Done."

"How do you turn it on?" Blade asks, picking up the grenade.

"Just hit the little button on the side," Scud says, hitting the button, but the grenade doesn't do anything. "Dang it. It failed."

"Told you I done tried it," Whistler says, walking over to the table.

"Wait," Blade says. "It's doing something." Blade suddenly put the grenade down and grabbed Scud, burying Scud's face into his shirt. There was a bright flash, which still hurt Scud's eyes even though Blade blocked most of the flash. "You ok?" Blade asks, pulling back slightly from Scud. "Can you see?"

"Yeah, I can see. You blocked most of the flash," Scud says, opening his eyes slowly.

"You can see everything ok?" Blade asks, looking straight into Scud's eyes.

"There are spots, like when you stare at a light to long, but yeah," Scud says, rubbing his eyes to try and clear the spots. "W?"

"I'm good. I was able to jump behind the cabinets," Whistler says. "I'm sorry I doubted you, Skid."

"How long is it going to take you to make more?" Blade asks, sitting back down but pulling Scud over to stand in front of him.

"It's going to take longer then we have tonight, but I have something for everyone to use tonight," Scud says, digging through his drawer. Scud eventually finds the key he is looking for, and he walked over to one of the giant totes. Scud can feel Blade behind him, following him, but he doesn't realize how close until he bent over and felt his ass hit Blade's groin, which makes Scud's face go bright red and Blade step back.

"Sorry," Blade says quickly, and when Scud looks at him, Blade's dark face is tinged red.

"Can you guys hurry up? The bloodpack is getting really impatient," Nyssa says, appearing beside Blade suddenly, which makes Scud jump. Blade must have seen Scud jump because he quickly puts himself in front of Scud.

"Josh was just about to get the new weapons he has for everyone to use," Blade says, reaching his hands back, grabbing Scud's hands, and making Scud step back as he does.

"I'm not going to hurt him," Nyssa says, stepping back herself.

"You already have," Blade growls.

"That was an accident," Nyssa says.

"Pushing him off the walkway was an accident?" Blade asks, his voice growing dangerous. "A hundred-foot fall was an accident?"

"I know you won't believe me, but yes it was," Nyssa says, disappearing suddenly. Blade quickly turns and pulls Scud against him.

"You can tell she's not lying, can't you?" Scud asks, looking up at Blade.

"Yes I can, but that doesn't mean I am going to forgive her for hurting you," Blade says.


	7. Chapter 7

A half hour later, they are all loaded in the van, Nyssa and the bloodpack in the back, and Blade, Scud, and Whistler in the front. "Turn left up there, the club is to the right," Nyssa says, looking over the seat. "There it is." Blade feels like his stomach just jumped into his throat. The sign beside the road says 'The Maze.' Blade quickly looks at Scud, who's gone completely still and pale. "What?" Nyssa asks.

"You should have told me it is the Maze," Blade says, pulling around the back of the club.

"I didn't think what club it would matter," Nyssa says.

"It doesn't," Scud says. Blade could feel him shaking next to him. When they all filed out of the van, Blade pulled Scud away from everyone else. "I'm not going back to the warehouse," Scud says before Blade has the chance to talk.

"This isn't just some normal job, Josh. It's too personal and dangerous for you," Blade says.

"I'll be in the van the whole time, and Whistler will be up on the roof, keeping his eyes on the van. I'll be fine," Scud says, grabbing Blade's hand.

"Whistler was supposed to keep his eyes on you," Blade snaps, which makes Scud flinch away from him.

"I'm sorry," Scud mutters.

"I'm the one that's sorry," Blade says, pulling Scud into a hug. Scud can see the group over Blade's shoulder and stiffens when he sees Chupa watching them with a wicked smile. Blade must have felt Scud stiffen because he shifted so that Scud was no longer facing the group. "Whistler, get your ass over here," Blade shouts, pulling back from Scud, but keeping a hold of his hand.

"I won't let the van out of my sight," Whistler says, running over.

"You better not. Go take your post," Blade says, then turns to Scud. "You are not to leave the van, and if reapers attack, you are to get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you, Blade," Scud says.

"You better if things go down. It's easier for me to get out and back to you if I know you are somewhere safer," Blade says, leaning down and kissing Scud.

Scud felt like his heart dropped into his stomach when Blade walked into the club with the bloodpack. Scud climbed into the van and smiled when he sees a box with his name on it in Blade's writing. He opens the box to find a dozen Krispy Kreme's and a pack of freshly made joints.

"You got the video?" Blade asks suddenly over the headset.

"Got it," Scud says, lighting up a joint. "Thanks Blade."

"Thought you might start suffering from withdrawal from both," Blade says.

"You guys are going to make me puke," Whistler says through the headset.

"How's the weather up there, Old Man?" Scud asks.

"Walking on sunshine, Skid," Whistler says. Scud laughs because he can hear the rain pouring down on the roof of the van.

Scud is starting to get bored just sitting there eating doughnuts and smoking when he hears a loud bang on the roof of the van. "W, what's on the van?" Scud asks through the headset. Scud instantly feels panicked when he doesn't get a response

"Whistler?" Blade asks when there was no reply.

"Blade, I am not alone out here, and I don't mean Whistler," Scud says, grabbing his gun.

"I'll be out as soon as I can. We have several reapers in here. Stay in the van, Josh," Blade yells over a bunch of background noise. Scud knows he should stay in the van, like he was told, but he is worried that something is wrong with Whistler.

Scud grabs his second gun and opens the door slowly, keeping one gun up and ready. He checks the area he can see from the back of the van, then checks the top of the van, and lastly he checks around the corner of the van. He instantly sees the five reapers once he turns the corner of the van.

"Shit," Scud says, diving back into the van as the reapers run at the van. "W, I can really use your help," Scud says, pointing his gun at the back doors. There is still no reply from Whistler. Scud can feel his arms shake.

The reapers are pounding on the back doors, trying to get to Scud. There is a sudden bang on the roof of the van again, which makes Scud jump and points his guns at the sky light. The minute the reaper's face appears in the sky light, Scud pulls the trigger, making glass rain down on him and makes the reaper jump off the van, giving Scud enough time to climb into the front seat before the reapers appear at the door windows, and one at the front window.

"Get of my van," Scud yells, turning on the van and throwing it into drive. Scud didn't see the wall and didn't know it was there until he drove right into it, slamming his head against the steering wheel. "Shit, Scud. Stay conscious," Scud yells at himself.

The reapers are still pounding on his doors, and the reaper in front is now pinned between the van and the wall, but it is trying to break the front window, which it is succeeding in. Scud instantly hits the UV light switch, but the light doesn't turn on. "Damn it," Scud says, lying down on the seat to fix the wires.

The front window suddenly breaks and shatters in on Scud. "Come on," Scud says, trying to connect the wires but having trouble because his hands are shaking. Scud feels a sudden pain in his left leg, which made him cry out. The minute Scud got the wires together, he flips the switch, and the light comes on.

The reaper in the front bursts into ash, and the other reapers all disappear. "UV light! UV light is the only thing that works!" Scud yells through the headset, laying back down on the seat as the pain in his leg increases.

"Josh?" Blade yells into the headset. "Josh, answer me!" Scud wants to answer, but he can feel himself losing consciousness. The driver door slamming open makes Scud react by scrambling away from the door. "Josh," Blade's voice snaps Scud back to full consciousness.

"Blade," Scud says, throwing himself into Blade's arms, and ignores the pain in his leg until it became really bad, making him gasp.

"Josh?" Blade asks, pulling back.

"My leg," Scud gasps as his legs buckle. Blade picks Scud up and sets him on the driver seat.

"Which leg?" Blade asks as he sets Scud down.

"Left," Scud gasps, lying down on the seat. He can't hold back the cry when Blade pushes up his pants to better see the wound.

"Sorry," Blade says. "Oh shit."

"What?" Scud asks, looking down at Blade.

"There's a piece of glass stuck in your leg. I'm going to have to remove it, and it's not going to feel good at all," Blade says, meeting Scud's eyes.

"Just do it," Scud says.

"Give me your shirt," Blade says.

"What?" Scud asks, sitting up slowly.

"I need your shirt to bind the wound. Mine is covered in reaper blood," Blade says, helping Scud sit up. Scud slowly sheds his jacket and then his shirt. A gasp behind Blade draws both of their attention.

"What the hell?" Whistler asks, standing a little bit away. Scud quickly grabs his jacket and pulls it back on, covering up his stomach to hide his scars. "You said he was hurt, but I never thought it would be that bad," Whistler says very quietly.

"Whistler, give me a hand," Blade says, ignoring what all Whistler had said.

"We are going to have to remove that glass shard," Whistler says, running over.

"I know. Rip up his shirt and get ready to bandage his wound," Blade says, looking up when Scud lays back down.

"Hang in there Scud. It'll hurt less once we remove the shard," Whistler says, ripping up Scud's shirt.

"Just get it done with already," Scud says, his voice suddenly weak.

"Keep talking to me Scud," Whistler says.

"About what?" Scud asks.

"Tell me how you got those scars. Tell me about how you and Blade met."

"They're the same story."

"Then tell me the story."

"I was out camping one weekend, and I decided to go swimming at the lake nearby. There were these two girls there."

"During the day?"

"No. That was my first mistake." Scud stops suddenly, feeling a sharp pain.

"What about these girls?" Whistler asks quickly, trying to distract Scud.

"They were really good looking girls, and they asked if I had a joint. I did, but they were all back at my tent, so I invited them back to my tent. That was my second mistake. When we got back to the tent, they showed who they truly were. They pinned me to the ground and started ripping chunks out of me, that's when Blade showed up." Scud cries out when they pull the shard out.

"The smell of blood is driving the bloodpack crazy," Nyssa says, appearing behind Blade. "What happened?"

"Reapers," Blade says, running to the other side of the van.

"Was he bitten?" Nyssa asks, watching Whistler bandage Scud's leg.

"No. One broke the window and a piece of glass got stuck in his leg," Blade says, climbing into the van and pulling Scud against his chest.

"His head is bleeding," Nyssa says, looking up at Blade and Scud.

"I hit my head on the steering wheel when I hit the wall," Scud says, touching his temple.

"Let me see," Blade says, moving Scud's hand. "It's just a minor cut. It won't even need stitchesChapter 7," Blade says, kissing the top of Scud's head. "Sun's going to rise soon. You and the bloodpack better leave and fast."

"Sure. I'll come at sundown to talk about what all happened," Nyssa says before disappearing.

"Whistler, get us out of here," Blade says, pulling Scud completely into his lap, which makes Scud wince. "Hang in there Josh."


	8. Chapter 8

"Whistler, call the doctor and make sure he has some pain killers," Blade says, picking up Scud and walking towards his room.

"I like staying in you room, Blade, but I really need my stuff," Scud says, wincing at the pain as his leg bounces.

"Once I get you lying down, I will go and get your stuff," Blade says, walking up the steps to his room.

"What?" Scud asks, looking at Blade.

"You're moving into my room. You're too accident prone. I don't trust you to stay in your room. Anyways, you said my bed was comfy," Blade says as he lays Scud down and props up Scud's left leg.

"No. I am already causing you so much trouble," Scud says, sinking into the pillows under him.

"You're not causing me any problems at all. It would be a problem if you stayed in your room because all I would do is worry about you. I'll go get your stuff now," Blade says, leaning down and kissing Scud before walking out the door.

It didn't take long for Blade to pack up Scud's things because most of his stuff is clothes. The only other things Scud has is a few books he borrowed from the local library, two of three Scud has done read. "Is this really all you have?" Blade asks, walking in with two boxes.

"Damaskinos never let me have anything. I didn't even have that much until you saved me," Scud says, watching as Blade puts his books on the desk and his clothes in the dresser, mixed in with Blade's clothes. "You can just leave those in the boxes," Scud says, sitting up.

"No," Blade says, walking over and sitting on the side of the bed once he is done unpacking Scud's stuff. "I didn't know you liked reading."

"I don't get to do it very often, but yeah I do," Scud says, lying back down. "I don't get to go to the library very often either."

"Why don't you just buy yourself some books to read?" Blade asks, brushing the hair out of Scud's face.

"I don't have money to. All my money goes to buy food, parts, and those stupid smokes."

"If you think they are stupid, why do you buy them?"

"I can't stand to go through withdrawal, or I would stop smoking."

"Doesn't someone help you through it?"

"Never had anyone that cared enough to help me. Damaskinos just always made sure I had smokes."

Blade suddenly reached into Scud's pants pockets and pulled out the pack he had gotten Scud. "You are not alone now," Blade says, snapping each joint in half and throwing them away.

"It's not easy and definitely not pretty. Are you sure?" Scud asks.

"Yes I am. You want to stop, so I am going to help you," Blade says, stretching out on the bed beside Scud.

"I'm going to be really ill," Scud says, turning his head towards Blade and wincing at the pain in his leg.

"The doctor should be here in a few minutes," Blade says, noticing Scud's pain. Right after Blade spoke, the doctor walked into the room.

"You guys are becoming my best customers," the doctor says, opening his bag and removing several things. "What are the injuries this time?"

"His left arm is broken, his left leg has a really bad gash, and he hit his head," Blade says, grabbing Scud's right hand.

"Your boyfriend's extremely accident prone, huh?" the doctor says, checking Scud's pulse. A bright pink spread across Scud's cheeks and nose, which makes Blade chuckle.

"Yeah. Sometimes I wonder what I should do with him. I guess I will have to just love him and protect him," Blade says, kissing the tip of Scud's nose.

The doctor worked quickly, putting a cast on Scud's arm and checking the cut on Scud's head. The leg took a little longer than the rest, and Scud buried his face in Blade's chest as the doctor stitches his leg.

"Ok. I'm all done. You're going to have to get this prescription filled in the morning," the doctor says, walking towards the door. "Stay off that leg as much as possible, and if anything develops, call me."

"Of course," Blade stays, not taking his eyes off of Scud.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," Scud says, shifting more into Blade.

"I'm going to show you're mine. I don't care what people say, and you shouldn't care either," Blade says, turning and pulling Scud onto his chest. Scud's head is now on Blade's chest, his right hand in between them, and his left hand holding onto Blade's shirt.

Scud smiles and relaxes as he hears Blade's heart beat and feels Blade's steady breath. Scud slowly drifts off into a peaceful sleep that he has not had since Reinhardt took him to Damaskinos.


	9. Chapter 9

"I hate to do this, but it's time to get up Josh," Blade's voice drifts softly to Scud.

"Five more minutes," Scud mumbles, yawning.

"I wish I could let you, but the bloodpack will be here in about an hour, and you have to be awake and down stairs when they get here," Blade says as Scud slowly opened his eyes. "I got your pain pills if you need some."

Scud slowly stretches his arms and legs, wincing when the stitches stretched. Blade grabs the pills off of the end table and hands two to Scud along with a bottle of water. "Thanks," Scud says, sitting up and taking the pills. "Can I have a little privacy?"

"Of course. I'll be right outside the door," Blade says, walking slowly out the door and shut it quietly. Scud slowly got up and limped to the dresser. Once Scud got clothes to change into, he quickly limps back to the bed. He is thankful that his pants are baggy because he doesn't have to worry about them hitting his injury.

"I'm done," Scud says, limping to the boxes Blade left in the room and puts his ruined pants in them. "Where are my shoes?"

"There at the end of the bed," Blade says, walking in. "Sit down. I'll get them for you," Blade says when Scud goes to move to get his shoes.

"I can do it," Scud says, limping towards the bed, but Scud doesn't make it before his left leg gives out. "Shit," Scud says as Blade catches him.

"Your leg is going to be weak. Did any of your stitches break?" Blade asks, picking Scud up and setting him down onto the bed.

"I don't think so, but you might want to check," Scud says, wincing as he pulls up his pants leg for Blade to check.

"You're good," Blade says, helping ease Scud's pants leg back down. Blade then grabbed Scud's old worn down boots, and he helped Scud put them on.

"Nyssa, Chupa, and Reinhardt are here," Whistler says though the door.

"There not supposed to be here for another forty-five minutes. Why only those three?" Blade asks, helping Scud stand.

"Damaskinos made them come early, and I don't know why only those three," Whistler says as Blade opens the door while supporting most of Scud's weight.

"Why would...," Blade starts when Chupa and Reinhardt suddenly appear behind Whistler. Chupa hits Whistler in the head, knocking him out cold.

Scud is suddenly shoved back by Blade as Reinhardt reaches out and hits Blade with some stun gun. Blade's whole body gets surrounded in blue electricity, and Scud is stuck sitting on the ground watching. "Blade," Scud yells when Blade hits the ground out cold.

Scud tried to crawl away, but Chupa had hold of Scud's shirt, lifting him off the ground, in an instant. "I may not be able to do anything yet, but I will here soon," Chupa says, chuckling.

"Blade will kill you before you lay a hand on me," Scud snaps.

"Will he now?" Chupa says, grabbing Scud's broken arm and snapping the cast. Scud wants to cry out, but he knows that's what Chupa wants, so he doesn't cry out. "Where's your lover now?"

"You'll pay for that," Scud gasps out.

"Just knock him out and grab the daywalker. We don't have time. We have to get back before the daywalker wakes," Reinhardt says, picking up Whistler.

"Don't touch him," Scud yells, but then he must have been knocked out because the world went dark and quiet around him.


	10. Chapter 10

"I'm going to kill you," Blade's yell brings Scud to consciousness. "Both of you."

"You're too weak," Reinhardt says. Scud opens his eyes slowly, wincing at the pain in his head and left arm.

"Ah, the little whore is awake," Chupa's voice makes Scud shiver.

"Josh?" Blade questions softly.

"I'm ok," Scud says, sitting up slowly and hating the sight in front of him. Blade's right knee is bleeding, Reinhardt is standing over Whistler, whose spitting blood, and Chupa is walking slowly to him.

"Don't touch him," Blade growls, trying to stand, but his knee won't let him.

"Don't touch him yet," Damaskinos says, walking into the room.

"You said he was to be mine, my lord," Chupa says, stopping half way to Scud.

"You will still have him, but I owe him for betraying me," Damaskinos says, smiling wickedly. "Bring him to me."

"No," Blade yells. The next thing Scud knows, he is standing in front of Damaskinos, facing Blade with his back to Damaskinos.

"I gave you everything. How could you do this to me?" Damaskinos asks, rubbing his hands down Scud's arms.

"You gave me nothing," Scud spat, stepping away from Damaskinos, but Damaskinos grabbed his arms, pulled him back, and bites his neck. It happened so fast that Scud was confused at why Blade looked broken, but then the pain came flooding through Scud, making him cry out.

As quickly as Damaskinos bit Scud, he stopped, letting Scud drop to his knees. "He's all yours, Chupa," Damaskinos says, kicking Scud in the back.

Scud hit the ground hard right next to Whistler, who instantly reaches out towards him, but Reinhardt grabbed him by the hair and pulled him back. "Get the piece of shit out of my sight," Damaskinos says. "Reinhardt takes care of the old man."

"As you wish, my lord," Chupa and Reinhardt say in unison. Scud wants so badly to stay with Blade, but he is too weak to even move. Chupa picks Scud up, fireman style, and carries him away from Blade.

Scud has a feeling he'll never see Blade again, so he looks at Blade really quick, trying to tell Blade how much he loves Blade. Blade's face is a mask of no emotion, a face Scud has always hated, but sadness flashes through Blade's eyes when they lock eyes.

Scud can feel the tears falling down his face, but he doesn't fight them like he normally would. Scud's head falls against Chupa because Scud becomes really weak, and the next thing Scud knew he was laying on the floor with Whistler kneeling over him.

"What?" scud asks.

"You blacked out for a while. Blade attacked Chupa, and it took Chupa and Reinhardt to drag Blade away from you," Whistler says.

"Where are we?" Scud asks, sitting up slowly because he is still weak and reeling from Damaskinos' bite.

"My room," Whistler says, standing up and looking down on Scud.

"What?" Scud asks, feeling extremely worried and panicked.

"You are not the only one Damaskinos sent in. I know you have a brain in there. Think about it. Damaskinos had me for three years," Whistler says, laughing at the horror on Scud's face.

"Blade trusted you," Scud says, sounding horrified.

"That is why Damaskinos sent me in. He knew Blade would figure you out, but Blade cares too much for me to figure it out."

"I figured it out," Blade's voice says suddenly from behind Scud.

"Impossible," Whistler whispers so softly that Scud barely heard. Whistler then took a step towards Scud, but Blade was there in an instant, pinning Whistler against the wall. "How did you get past Chupa and Reinhardt?"

"Chupa had disappeared to find where you took Josh, and Reinhardt was easy to kill," Blade says right before snapping Whistler's neck and letting him fall. Blade then turned and kneeled next to Scud. "Josh?"

"I'm ok, weak but ok," Scud says, burying his face into Blade's chest and crying. "I thought I was never going to see you again."

"So did I, Josh. So did I," Blade says, pulling back to check Scud's injury.

"I'm sorry," Scud sobs harder when he sees where Blade is looking. "I'm now going to be one of the things you hate most and kill."

"No, you won't. We will use the detox serum, and you will be just fine. You hear me? You will be fine," Blade says, pulling Scud to him again.

"Old man! What did you do with my toy?" Chupa's voice yelled from down the hall.

"Shit," Blade mumbles, picking Scud up and setting him in the corner farthest from the door.

"What are you going to do?" Scud asks as Blade kisses the top of his head.

"I'm making Chupa's death slow and painful for what he did to you," Blade says right before Chupa walks in, but when Chupa walks in, all he sees is Whistler dead and Scud sitting in the corner.

"I didn't think you had it in you," Chupa says, walking towards Scud.

"He didn't. I did," Blade says, appearing in between Scud and Chupa.


	11. Chapter 11

Scud hasn't known Blade all too long, but he knows Blade isn't much into making people suffer. Scud feels scared, watching Blade beat Chupa to a bloody pulp, scared that he is losing the man he fell in love with. Scud cannot hold back his sobs as he watches Blade grab his katana and walk towards Chupa, but Blade stops when he hears Scud's sobs. Blade is beside him before Scud knew it.

"Josh? What's wrong? Are you in pain?" Blade asks. Scud just nods as he buries his face in his hands and sobs even harder. "What's wrong? You have to talk to me, please."

"I'm losing you," Scud cries, curling in on himself.

"What? Josh, what are you talking about? I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere without you," Blade says, pulling Scud against him.

"I'm losing you. With every hit you make to Chupa, I'm losing you, the true you," Scud cries.

"I'm sorry. I'm not going anywhere. It's over," Blade says, trying to calm Scud down. Scud's heart jumps when Blade is suddenly grabbed and thrown away from Scud.

"It's not over yet," Chupa yells. Scud tries to scramble away, but Chupa quickly grabs a hold of him and lifts him up.

"Josh," Blade yells.

"It's ok, Blade. It's ok. I love you," Scud says.

"I love you too," Blade says. Scud sees Blade move and waits to feel the pierce of Blade's katana, but he wasn't ready enough. Scud cries out when he feels Blade's katana pierce his left side after it goes through Chupa's heart.

"I love you, Blade," Scud says as the katana disappears and he falls into Blade's arms.

"I love you too," Blade says. "Now let's get you home, where you belong." Scud tries but cannot hold his cry as Blade lifts him up.

"What about Damaskinos and the rest of the blood pack?" Scud gasps between the pain.

"They have some problems of their own to deal with right now. I need to get you home," Blade says, moving his hand to press against Scud's left side, which makes Scud cry out. Scud has his eyes closed, but when he feels something wet hit his check, he opens his eyes to see Blade crying as he carries Scud.

"Blade, it's not your fault," Scud says weakly, brushing tears off of Blade's check.

"It was my katana that did this," Blade says, not looking at Scud. Scud shivers when Blade steps out into the night air. Scud tries to hold back his cry as Blade lays him in the front seat of his car, but he cannot hold the sob the escapes when Blade presses his jacket to his side. "Keep pressure on that, Josh."

"Blade, it hurts really bad," Scud says, tears falling silently.

"I know it does," Blade says, brushing the hair out of Scud's face. "We're almost home, and I will call the doctor right away."

"I'm cold," Scud says, shivering really bad. Scud is grateful when Blade turns on the heat, but he still feels really cold.

"Josh, you need to calm down. You're going into shock," Blade says, rubbing Scud's left arm.

Blade's words don't make sense to Scud. All Scud can think about is all the time Chupa hurt him and that Chupa is now dead. Scud's mind keeps replaying what all happened since the two suckheads coming to the warehouse for the first time.

Scud can hear Blade yell his name over and over again, but he cannot seem to get his body to do anything then shiver. Everything seems to go fast and broken from there on to Scud. He gets laid on a bed. He's covered with tons of covers. Doctor asks him something, which he cannot understand what. The one clear thing that Scud remembers is feeling Blade's strong arms around him as he blacks out.


	12. Chapter 12

When Scud wakes up, he is overwhelmed with heat, pain, and nausea. Scud quickly gets up and runs to the bathroom. After throwing up several times, Scud lets himself fall to the floor and curl into a ball, shivering. Scud flinches when he feels someone touch his forehead.

"Josh? Can you hear me, Josh?" Blade's voice asks from behind Scud. Scud doesn't trust himself to open his mouth, so he just nods. "Are you ok?" Scud can hear that Blade's voice is filled with pure concern. Again Scud only nods. "The doctor said you are going through withdrawal. It should be over in a couple of days."

"How long have I been out?" Scud asks as Blade carries him out of the bathroom and back to their bed.

"You have been in a daze since the night the bloodpack was attacked. Half way through your daze is when you started suffering from withdrawal," Blade says as he covers Scud back up.

"I've been out for four weeks?" Scud asks as his stomach growls. Scud cannot help but smile when Blade laughs.

"I'll go make you some soup, but you have to eat slowly. You have not eaten very much this past month," Blade says, brushing the hair out of Scud's face. "Your hair has gotten really long since I first rescued you."

"I've been meaning to cut it, but too much has been happening. Every time I turn around lately, I've ended up laying here hurt," Scud says, chuckling. Laughing makes Scud remember his injuries as his whole left side hurts.

"Your arm is pretty much healed as well as your leg, but your side is going to take a while," Blade says when Scud winces. "I better go call the doctor and tell him you are awake," Blade says, standing up, but he doesn't leave right away. "Is there anything I can get you or do for you before I leave? I brought your little TV in and set it up at the end of the bed."

"Could you help me into a sitting position?" Scud says, pushing a lot of the covers off of him.

"As long as you keep those covers on," Blade says.

"It's too hot with all those covers on," Scud whines as Blade helps Scud sit against a pile of pillows.

"I know it is, but you are running a really high fever. You need to sweat it out," Blade says, covering Scud back up. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes." Blade kisses Scud's forehead and turns on Scud's TV before leaving.

Scud sits there and watches his favorite show, Power Puff Girls, as he waits for Blade to return. Another wave of nausea makes Scud run to the bathroom again. This round of nausea hits hard, and Scud is having problems keeping his hair back and keep from falling over. Once he is done, he leans on the sink and washes his mouth out. When Scud looks up into the mirror, he sees the almost healed wound from Damaskinos biting him, and he wonders if he is human or not. Scud doesn't hear Blade come into the bathroom, and he jumps when Blade touches his shoulder.

"Are you ok?" Blade asks, catching Scud as he just about falls.

"Yeah. I'm ok," Scud says.

"I'm sorry I made you jump. You looked pretty focused," Blade says, wrapping his arms around Scud's small frame.

"I was just wondering something," Scud says, laying his head against Blade's chest.

"What... oh. Josh, look at me," Blade says, lifting Scud's face up to him. "You are not one of them. I used the detox. You are fine."

"How do you know? I've been sick this whole time," Scud says, trying to step out of Blade's hold, but Blade just tightens his hold on Scud.

"Before you got really bad, I put you in that room. I gave you detox, the blinds opened at sunrise, and you are still here," Blade says.

"How do I know you are not just saying that?" Scud asks, fighting the tears he feel building. Scud gasps and quickly wraps his arms around Blade's neck when Blade suddenly picks him up. "What are you doing? Where are you taking me?"

"I'm proving to you that I am not lying to you. That I will never lie to you, but you might want to put these on," Blade says, putting a pair of his many sunglasses on and handing one to Scud. Scud is now sitting on the edge of the bed. Scud takes the sunglasses and reaches out to grab his shoes from the end of the bed, but Blade quickly grabs them and puts them on Scud. "Can you walk on your own?"

"I might for a little bit, but not for long," Scud says. Scud takes Blade's offered hand and stands up slowly, feeling weak. Scud is not all surprised when Blade wraps his left hand around his waist and Scud's right hand around his shoulders.

"Go as slow as you need to go. We're in no hurry," Blade says as they slowly start walking down the steps from their room.

"I am. My stomach keeps growling," Scud says as his stomach growls loudly.

"I've got soup heating. It should be done by the time we head back upstairs," Blade says, laughing. Scud is nervous and stops a few feet from the door leading outside. "I would not let you step outside if it was going to hurt you."

"I know. I'm... I'm just nervous," Scud says, resting his head on Blade's shoulder.

"You ok? You in any pain? Do you need a break?" Blade asks. Scud can hear a great amount of panic in Blade's voice.

"I'm kind of tired, and my legs were starting to hurt and feel weak," Scud says.

"I'll carry you back upstairs," Blade says, picking Scud up bridal style.

"No. I need to know, Blade," Scud says, trying to sound strong and in control but sounding weak instead.

"Ok. The sun might hurt your eyes though," Blade says, walking towards the door. Scud feels his pulse pick up as Blade opens the door and steps out. "See. You are fine." Scud feels so relieved and happy as he feels the sun warm his skin. Scud looks at Blade's face and smiles when he sees Blade smiling down at him. Scud slowly removes his left hand from around Blade's neck, places it on Blade's check, and pulls Blade down into a deep and passionate kiss. "I've missed kissing you," Blade says once they break for air. "Let's get you back in bed and fed, so that you can get some more rest."

"As long as you hold me like last time," Scud says, resting his head on Blade's shoulder and laughing when Blade blushes.

"You remember that?" Blade asks, laying Scud down, removing Scud's shoes, and covering Scud up with only a couple of blankets. "Your fever is pretty much gone."

"Yes, I remember. That is the only thing I remember clearly," Scud says, handing Blade his sunglasses back.

"Keep them. I'll go get your soup."


	13. Chapter 13

After being stuck in bed for two weeks, Blade and doctor's orders, Scud is starting to feel really bored. He has finished and reread the three books he got from the library three times. Scud is grateful when the doctor says he can go back to everyday things but to go slow and easy.

After taking a shower and getting dressed, Scud heads down stairs to find Blade. When Scud gets to the bottom of the stairs, he is greeted by Blade, who hugs him.

"I'm glad you can move around like normal," Blade says, kissing Scud's nose.

"Why are you so happy? You weren't the one stuck lying in bed all day," Scud says, smiling brightly and capturing Blade's lips in a kiss.

"No, I was not, but I cannot stand to see you so depressed," Blade says.

"I have no idea what to do. I lost my job," Scud says as they walk hand in hand to the kitchen.

"No you didn't," Blade says. Scud is surprised at how dark Blade's voice got.

"Blade? What's wrong?" Scud asks, stopping and making Blade look at him.

"Damaskinos escaped," Blade says so low that Scud almost missed it.

"What?" Scud gasps out, stepping back away from Blade and hitting the counter behind him. Scud's knees give out, and he slides down the counter to the ground.

"Josh?" Blade asks, kneeling next to Scud.

"No. I got out from under him. He has to be gone," Scud sobs, tears flowing down his face silently.

"Josh you did get out. You're safe now. He is never going to lay a hand on you again," Blade says. Scud buries his face in Blade's chest when Blade pulls him into his lap. "If I ever see him, I'll kill him instantly."

"I'm sorry, Blade," Scud says softly.

"Why are you apologizing to me?" Blade asks, holding Scud closer.

"I didn't mean to freak out. I know you will never let me get hurt by Damaskinos again," Scud says.

"If I can help it, you will never get hurt again," Blade says, pulling Scud up as he stands. "I've got lunching cooking. You going to your work area?"

"Yeah. I'm going to make a bunch of UV grenades if I can remember how," Scud says as Blade hugs him.

"I'm sure you can do it, but please be careful. You are working with dangerous stuff," Blade says, kissing Scud really quick before walking away. Scud stops shortly after walking into the work area because something seems wrong, but he cannot figure out what.

After checking the whole area, Scud decides to forget it and get to work. After half an hour of working, Scud has five UV grenades made, and he can smell whatever Blade is fixing. Scud lets his mind wander to Blade as he works on another grenade, which was a mistake. Scud has gotten so used to Blade sneaking up behind him that he thinks nothing of the arms suddenly wrapped around his waist until he sees they are not dark brown, like Blade's arms. Scud instantly freezes and slowly turns his head to try and see who's behind him.

"Hello, Scud. Did you miss me?" Damaskinos' voice whispers into Scud's ear.

"Please don't," Scud sobs, knowing that Damaskinos is here to kill Blade, not Scud.

"I'm not here to kill either of you... yet," Damaskinos says, kissing Scud's neck before disappearing. Scud's legs give out, and he crumples to the ground, sobbing.

"Josh?" Blade's voice carries from the kitchen. Scud can hear the worry in Blade's voice, and it drives Scud into standing and running to the kitchen. As Scud gets closer to the kitchen, he sees Blade step to the doorway of the kitchen.

"Josh?" Blade asks as Scud throws himself against Blade. Scud can feel his knees give out, and Blade picks him up, carries him to the countertop closest, and sets him on the counter. Scud keeps his face buried in Blade's chest as he is set down.

"Josh? What's wrong? What happened?" Blade asks. Scud can hear the panic in Blade's voice.

"Damaskinos," Scud sobs.

"What about him?" Blade asks.

"Work area," is all Scud can say, shaking as he sobs. Scud can feel Blade stiffen into a defensive posture over him. "He's gone. He left, but he said he would be back."

"What did he do? What did he do to you?" Blade asks, making Scud look at him.

"He had his arms wrapped around my waist from behind," Scud says, his voice quivering.

"Anything else?" Blade asks, grabbing Scud's hands. Scud doesn't want to tell him that Damaskinos kissed his neck on his scar. Scud removes his left hand from Blade's and places it over his scar without even thinking about it as he shakes his head no.

"Josh, don't lie to me," Blade says. Scud flinches at the harsh tone in Blade's voice.

"He...," Scud says, stuttering.

"He what? If he hurt you...," Blade says, stopping when he sees tears in Scud's eyes. "What did he do?"

"He kissed my neck, on the scar," Scud says, looking down at his lap and fighting the tears that want to fall again. Scud is startled when Blade moves away from him. "Blade?"

Scud's tears start falling when he sees Blade's shoulders shake as he fights his own tears. Scud is confused at first as to why Blade is crying, but he then remembers what Blade said earlier about protecting him.

"Blade, come here," Scud says, grabbing Blade's hand and pulling him back to the counter Scud is sitting on. "It's not your fault. You were making lunch for us, and we did not expect him to attack so soon. He didn't even hurt me."

"I said he would never lay a hand on you again. I failed you," Blade says.

"No. You did not. You are protecting me now," Scud says, noticing that Blade has kept a defensive posture and stayed close to Scud this whole time.

"I'm not leaving your side again. I don't know what I would do if I lost you," Blade says, wrapping his arms around Scud.

"You would live," Scud says, kissing Blade dead on the mouth. "For me, you would live."


	14. Chapter 14

After they both calmed down, Blade grabbed the food off of the stove and got the table ready, while Scud got drinks. After getting a couple glasses of Coke Vanilla, which Blade brought for Scud, Scud turned to go back to the table.

"Are you not eating?" Scud asks, noticing only one spot set at the table.

"Yes, I'm eating," Blade says, grabbing the glasses, setting them down on either side of the plate, sitting down, and pulling Scud onto his lap. Scud knows his face is bright red, but he likes being on Blade's lap.

"So, what is for lunch?" Scud asks as his stomach growls. Scud smiles as he feels Blade chuckle.

"You like tacos, right?" Blade asks, resting his chin on Scud's shoulder, which makes Scud realize their height difference.

"Yeah, I love tacos, but this doesn't look like the stuff for tacos," Scud says, trying to look into the bowl at the table, but Blade covers his eyes.

"It's taco salad. Close your eyes, and no opening them until I say so," Blade says.

"Why? You already told me what it is," Scud says as he closes his eyes and leans back against Blade.

"I want you to try it before you see it," Blade says.

"Does it look bad?" Scud asks, crinkling his nose, which makes Blade laugh.

"No, but seeing food before trying it makes your mind predetermine what it will taste like. Now open up," Blade says. Scud slowly opens his mouth and takes a bit of what Blade has on the fork. Scud smiles at the new but good flavor. "You like it?"

"Yeah. I never would have thought to combine taco and salad, but that is really good," Scud says, looking at Blade.

"I thought you would since you like tacos and salads," Blade says, kissing Scud's check. Scud takes a drink as Blade the clouds their plate with food. Scud smiles when Blade takes a bit and then offers the rest on the fork to him. After they both finished eating, they sit there for a while.

"I better go finish making some UV grenades. I only got five done earlier when...," Scud says, not wanting to say what happened again.

"Let me wash the dishes really quick, then we'll go," Blade says as he puts the leftovers in the fridge.

"I'll help you," Scud says, hopping onto the counter and grabbing the dry rag. After washing the two cups, one plate, and one fork, Scud hopes off the counter to head to the work area.

"You don't have to stay by me all the time, Blade," Scud says, walking to leave the kitchen but pausing when he doesn't hear Blade. "Blade?" Scud turns around to find Blade leaning over the counter, looking pale.

"Blade, what's wrong?" Scud asks, moving towards Blade.

"Don't come near me," Blade says, voice sounding rougher than normal.

"Blade, what... Oh. Where?" Scud asks, stepping away from Blade.

"Just go to the work area. I'll be there in a few minutes," Blade says softly. Scud nods and slowly walks out of the kitchen. Scud picks up his pace as he heads to the work area. After a couple of minutes, Scud has another grenade done and freezes when he feels arms wrap around his waist.

"Sorry," Blade says quickly, letting Scud go.

"No. I'm sorry. I should have known it was you," Scud says, turning around to face Blade. Scud smiles and pulls Blade into a heated kiss. Blade pulls back first, and Scud cannot hold back his whimper at the loss of contact.

"If we are going any further, we are not doing it here. At least not for our first time," Blade says with a big grin. Scud can tell that grin means Blade is thinking of other places to have fun.


	15. Chapter 15

Scud moans as Blade picks him up while not breaking their new heated kiss. Panic grips Scud as Blade lays him down on the bed and got on top of him.

"Josh? What's wrong? If you're not ready, we can stop," Blade says quickly, sitting up and pulling Scud onto his lap.

"I want to do this, Blade. I just got startled a little," Scud says against Blade's chest.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," Blade says as he runs his hands through Scud's hair and hums softly. After Scud calmed down, he shifts so that he is straddling Blade's lap and starts kissing Blade's neck.

"I'll take that as that you are ready to continue," Blade says, chuckling. Blade cannot stop his moan as Scud grounds down onto his hard member. Blade slowly lifts Scud up and slowly lays him onto the bed under him. "Just tell me if you need me to stop." Scud just nods as Blade starts to kiss his neck and slowly unbuttons Scud's shirt, watching Scud's reactions the whole time. After Blade has Scud's shirt unbuttoned, he slowly removes it as Scud tries to get Blade's shirt off him. Blade lets Scud remove his shirt and run his hands over his chest. Scud blushes when he notices Blade watching him

"Can we move a little faster?" Scud asks softly as Blade kisses his neck again.

"If you are ready to, then yes, we can," Blade says, locking eyes with Scud's eyes as he reaches down to Scud's pants. Scud tenses a little when Blade unbuttons his pants, and Blade stops and waits until Scud relaxes again.

"Thank you," Scud whispers.

"I told you that we will go at your pace," Blade whispers back. "You ready for me to continue?"

"Can you take your pants off first?"

"Of course I can." Blade gets up off the bed and removes his pants, leaving him in his boxers. "You want me to remove these as well?" Scud nods and tries not to blush. Scud cannot help but smile and blush when Blade removes his boxers to reveal his hard erection. "I'll take that as you like what you see." Blade chuckles as Scud blushes even more.

"May I?" Blade asks, indicating Scud's pants. Scud nods. Blade quickly unzips Scud's pants, and Scud lifts his hips so that Blade can pull down Scud's pants and boxers.

"You're beautiful," Blade says as he climbs back on the bed and kisses the tip of Scud's erection, which makes Scud gasp at the new sensation. Blade smiles up at Scud before taking all of Scud into his mouth and deep throating him.

"Blade!" Scud screams in pleasure with a hint of fear in his voice. Blade quickly pulls back and let's go of Scud.

"No! Please don't stop! I'm just not used to that sensation," Scud says quickly. Blade leans up and quickly kisses Scud's forehead before he goes back down and deep throats Scud again. "Blade! I need you in me, please. Please, fuck me." Blade slowly releases Scud's erection.

"Are you sure you want this?" Blade asks as he pushes some hair out of Scud's face.

"Yes, Blade, I want this. I need this." Blade quickly shifts off of Scud, which makes Scud whimper at the loss of contact, so Blade places his hand on Scud's chest while he searches in his table beside the bed. Once Blade finds what he was searching for, he quickly moves back over to Scud.

"What's that?" Scud asks, spotting the bottle in Blade's hand.

"Lube. Haven't you ever seen it before?" Blade asks as he puts some on his hand and lubes up three fingers. When Scud shakes his head no, Blade feels rage surged through him. "They never used it to prep you? They just did it dry?" Scud can tell Blade is mad and slowly nods his head, trying not to cry as Blade glares down at him.

"I'm sorry, Josh. I'm not mad at you," Blade says when he sees the tears in Scud's eyes.

"I didn't mean to upset you," Scud says, fighting his tear.

"You didn't upset me," Blade says, kissing Scud quickly but passionately. "You ready to continue?" Scud nods after a while of Blade kissing him. Blade keeps his eyes on Scud as he slowly slides one lubed finger into Scud's puckered hole. Scud gasps in discomfort and Blade starts kissing and sucking on Scud's neck to calm him down. "You need to relax, Josh. It'll feel better if you relax." Scud nods, closes his eyes, and slowly relaxes. Blade slowly adds a second finger once Scud is relaxed and starts scissoring them inside Scud to stretch him. After Blade has Scud stretched and ready, he lubes up his aching erection and lines himself up to enter Scud.

"I'm going to go slow, but if this starts to hurt, you need to tell me," Blade says, locking eyes with Scud. Blade slowly starts to push himself into Scud, stopping when Scud looked to be uncomfortable. Once Blade was fully seated in Scud, he stops and lets Scud get used to him.

"Please move, Blade," Scud gasps out once he is ready. Blade slowly starts sliding in and out of Scud, and soon Scud is crying out in pleasure as Blade hits his prostate. When Blade feels himself getting close to his climax, he grabs Scud's erection and starts pumping it in time with his thrusts. It doesn't take long for Scud to reach his climax.

"Blade!" Scud cries as he orgasms, which makes Blade orgasm and cry out Scud's name. Once Blade poured all his seed into Scud, he slowly and carefully pulls out of Scud and collapses beside him. Scud curls up against Blade and yawns, "I love you, Blade."

"I love you too, Josh."


	16. Chapter 16

Scud wakes up and goes to shift more into Blade's arms, but Blade isn't in the bed next to him. Scud's eyes shot open and he sits up when he realizes this and begins to panic when he doesn't see Blade in the bedroom. Scud quickly slides on his pants and heads to the door to see if he can spot Blade. Blade must have heard Scud open the door because he steps out of the kitchen so that Scud sees him.

"Breakfast is going to be a while," Blade calls up to Scud.

"Do I have time to take a shower?" Scud calls back.

"Yeah, you do as long as you don't take too long." Scud quickly grabbed clean clothes and headed to the shower. As he was washing his hair, he felt arms wrap around him, which caused him to scream and jump. He stepped out of the arms as he jumped and slipped, falling away from the person and twisting around in the process. Scud was able to see who had grabbed him right before he hit the wall of the tub and was knocked out cold.

"Josh? Josh, please wake up," Scud heard as he slowly started to regain consciousness.

"Where the hell is the damn doctor? Josh, please wake up." Scud felt himself lifted out of the tub and then laid down onto the bed.

"There's too much blood. What the hell happened? Josh, please wake up." Scud then lost consciousness as he felt pressure on the back of his head. Scud regained consciousness a few hours later and opened his eyes to see Blade looking down at him.

"Hey, babe. I'm glad to see you awake," Blade says, leaning down and kissing Scud's forehead.

"I'm sorry, Blade," Scud says softly, not meeting Blade's eyes.

"Josh, what are you apologizing for?" Blade asks, trying to get Scud to look at him.

"I got hurt again, and I ruined your breakfast," Scud says, fighting tears as Blade finally makes Scud look at him.

"You didn't ruin breakfast. Yes, it is now time for lunch, but we can eat it now if you want. If not, we can save it for tomorrow," Blade says, brushing the hair out of Scud's face. Scud cannot help but wince as the back of his head and back throbs suddenly. Blade quickly grabs a glass of water off the nightstand and a bottle of pills, both of which Scud doesn't remember being there before. "The doctor stopped by while you were unconscious. He said you will have a knot on the back of your head for a few days and a headache when you woke up. Once you feel up to moving, we can go eat."

"Can we have what you fixed for breakfast?"

"Of course we can." Blade helps Scud sit up and take his pills. After a while Blade finally asks the question Scud was afraid he would ask.

"What happened? How did you slip and fall?"

"I was rinsing my hair and felt arms wrap around me. I jumped away from the arm and slipped as I did. I hit my head against the wall."

"Did you see who it was that grabbed you?" Scud just nods and looks away.

"I see."

"I'm sorry, Blade."

"It's not your fault, Josh. You ready to go eat?"

"What's the point?"

"What?"

"What's the point in me eating, in me even being alive? It's obvious Damaskinos means for me to die one way or another. Why shouldn't I just kill myself and get it over with?" Scud was new laying on his side in a ball and sobbing hard.

"Josh don't talk like that. You want to know why you should keep living?" Scud nods.

"I would die, no, I would kill myself if you died and left me."

"You can't! People will die if you aren't here to protect them from suckheads!"

"Then you are stuck living. Don't worry. We'll kill Damaskinos. I promise."

"I know you will. Can we eat now?"

"We will kill him, both of us, and yes, we can eat now." Scud smiles and wipes the remaining tears from his face as Blade stand up and grabs some clothes for Scud.

"I didn't get a chance to dress you. I was busy freaking out. Sorry."

"It's ok," Scud says as he tries to sit up but ends up almost falling when hit by a dizzy spell.

"Josh?" Blade asks as he steadies Scud.

"I'm ok. I'm just a bit dizzy. It'll clear in a second." Once the dizzy spell clears, Blade helps Scud get dressed, ignoring Scud's protests about being able to dress himself. Blade then picks Scud up and proceeds to carry him down to the kitchen.

"Blade, I can walk just fine."

"I know you can."

"Then why did you carry me down here?"

"You are one of the most accident prone people I have ever met. I don't want you to hurt yourself anymore." Blade than sits Scud down onto a chair.

"Oh, ain't that just romantic," the voice of Damaskinos says from the door suddenly. Blade quickly turns around and puts himself between Scud and Damaskinos.

"Blade, wait," Scud says, grabbing Blade's arm but staying slightly behind Blade. Blade gives Scud a curious look but doesn't say anything or move. "What do you want? Why do you keep showing up but leaving whenever I get spoked or hurt?"

"I'm not meaning to scare, and I've never meant to hurt you, Scud," Damaskinos says, voice filled with pure sadness.

"Then why are you here? Why have you gone after Josh when he's been alone?" Blade asks, watching Damaskinos very closely.

"I'm here because I want you to kill me. I've gone after Scud, as you put it, because I was hoping to have what you have for just a little while, and I'm terribly sorry. Please, Daywalker, kill me."

"Blade?" Scud asks softly.

"In the drawer behind you, Josh, is a stake. Hand it to me, please," Blade says, looking at Scud with sad eyes. Scud nods and grabs the stake for Blade. Scud hands Blade the stake then turns away, not wanting to see Blade kill Damaskinos. Blade sees Scud turn away and kisses Scud's forehead quickly before walking over to Damaskinos.

"Thanks Blade. Thanks Scud, though I guess Scud dies when I do, so thank you Josh," Damaskinos says, and then Blade stabs him in the heart. Damaskinos smiles as he turns into ash. Blade drops the stake and walks quickly back to Scud, wrapping him in his arms.

"Is Scud dead? Is there only my Josh now?" Blade asks as Scud pushes himself into Blade's arm.

"Yes, Scud is dead, but Josh is still here," Josh says, smiling up at Blade.

"I'm glad Josh is still here. Let's get some food in you now." Blade quickly grabs the food after heating it, sits down, and pulls Josh onto his lap.


End file.
